I had the great pleasure of staying at the Chelsea Hotel three times before they closed their doors for nearly a decade. I was eighteen.

I spent my childhood selling handmade jewelry, so by the time I went to college, I had saved up a good amount of money.

I used most of it to sneak off to New York and Los Angeles, (I should have been in class).

Rooms at the Chelsea used to run you about $90-$120 a night.

One room I stayed in was on the cheaper side, but you had to share the bathroom with the entire floor.

My dad was terrified when he got wind of that. 🤣

That’s one of the most beautiful things about youth - we can be so happy with so little.

As we age, It seems we spend more time and energy on maintaining a lifestyle if only for the approval of others. When you’re young - you don’t care about things like that.

I feel like I’m one of the lucky ones - to have spent a few nights in the Chelsea before her renovation.

I am in no way old enough to have been there for anything iconic - and yet, I still feel like the magic shaped me.

The Chelsea and all her historical glory are part of the reason I am an artist today.

Cheers to many more nights at the Chelsea Hotel.